ZIdane on the bench for Real during the match against Shakhtar in the Champions League, October 21, 2020. -

JuanJo Martín / EFE / SIPA

Definitely, things are not going strong at the moment for Real Madrid.

Beaten by Cadiz at home last weekend in La Liga, the Madrilenians lost this Wednesday for their debut in the Champions League, still at home, against Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Ukrainians, deprived of nine players because of the Covid, had yet presented themselves with an bis team….

Led 0-3 at the break, a great first in their history, they avoided humiliation by coming down to 2-3, but the result is the same.

Zidane and his men are in great difficulty.

Without Ramos, Varane collapses

Among them, special mention to Raphaël Varane.

Two months after having lived the worst by condemning his team to elimination with two big balls at Manchester City in the round of 16 second leg of the last edition, the French defender saw his nightmare continue on Wednesday night for Real's comeback in C1.

After the opening of the score of the Brazilian Tetê (20th) for Shakhtar, he scored a goal against his camp (33rd) by trying to remove a ball dangerously pushed into the box by Thibaut Courtois.

Then ten minutes later, he was too absorbed by the ball near the halfway line, and was too late in his retreat to prevent Manor Solomon from scoring the 3-0 goal for the Ukrainians, after a heel from the elusive Tetê.

Without Sergio Ramos ...

Despite the semblance of hope created by the pretty goals of Luka Modric (54th), a clear strike from 30 meters into the skylight, and Vinicius (59th) on an interception fifteen seconds after coming into play instead of Luka Jovic, these achievements did not change the result ... Ditto for the final goal of Valverde (90th + 2), invalidated by video refereeing.

After the rout in Manchester in early August (1-2, 2-1), the Spanish media had assured that it was "the worst performance of his career" and that an evening like that would only occur "once ".

But amputated from his sidekick and usual captain Sergio Ramos (hit in a knee but very present by the voice in the stands of the small Di Stéfano stadium), and associated with the Brazilian Eder Militao (who had also assisted him in Manchester in August), Varane once again offered a mediocre performance in C1.

An expensive Clasico

“We were not up to the competition in the first period, reacted Luka Modric.

It's a tough loss, but there are still a lot of games to go and I'm sure we will improve.

It's a good thing the Clasico is coming soon.

"

A good thing, and also a great danger if this match against the Barcelona rival were to go badly.

In the event of another unfavorable result, the White House will plunge into a new crisis.

“We deserve criticism,” Zidane said before the meeting.

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